Automatic check-row planter.



No. 632,|22. Patented Aug. 29, |899.

J. B. JARMIN. l AUTOMATIC CHECK BOW PLANTIRl (Application tiled July 10,1899!..

3 Sheets-Sheet l,

(No Model.)

No. 632,!22. Patented Aug. 29, |899.

` J. B. JARMIN.

AUTOMATIC CHECK ROW PLANTER.

(Application led July 10, 1899. 1;N0 Model.)

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ALK ML lllllllfllfL-mmAAH-Mmmm 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

N0." 632,|22. Patented Aug. 29, |899.

J. B. JARMIN. AUTDMATIG'CHECK BOW PLANTER.

(Applicatio'n mea .my 1o, 1899:. (No Nudel.) 3 sheets-sneet 3.

NrrED STATES PATENT ENCE.

JAMES B. JAEMIN, or oscEoLA, NEBRASKA, AssIGNoE To A. B. EEENIER, orDAVENPORT, AND c. I. BUET, OE'LAKE CITY, IowA.

AUTOMATIC CH EC K-ROW PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 632,122, dated August29, 1899.

Application filed July 10, 1899. Serial No. 723,398. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES B. JARMIN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Osceola, in the county of Polkand State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Automatic Check-Row Corn-Planters, of which the following is aspecication.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic check-rowcornplanters of the type exemplified by the machines illustrated in mytwo former applications for. Letters Patent, filed June 5, 1899, SerialNo. 719,484, and Serial No. 721,853, filed June 26, 1899, the presentmachine being a different embodiment of the broad invention describedand claimed in the last-mentioned of the above applications.

The object of my present invention, like that of my former inventions,is to have the marker so connected with the planter that the planter maybe swung to the right or to the left out of a straight line in operationwithout affecting the line of travel of the marker-that is, withoutdeflecting it from a straight course.

Another object is to have the connection between the marker and theplanter of such construction that it shall be capable of application toany part of the planter; that it shall be a cheap, simple, and durableconnection, subject to the least danger of breakage or becomingderanged, and that it shall permit the operation of the seed-droppingmechanism from the marker continuously, notwithstanding constant changesin the angularity between the marker and planter.

A further object is to have a single pivotal connection between themarker and the planter,co1nbined with connecting devices between thepivot and the marker, of such character that notwithstanding the pivotconnection will swing laterally out of line with the planter the markerwill remain in line and undeflected. l

These and such other objects as may hereinafter appear are attained bythe devices illustrated in the accompanyingr drawings, in which- Figure1 is a plan view of an automatic check-row corn-planter embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view thereof,but showing the planter swungout of line or oblique to the marker instead of at right angles thereto.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on-'the line 3 3 of 55 Fig. 1 looking inthe direction indicated by the arrows. Fig. 4 is a vertical section onthe line 4 4 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged detail views that will be described 6ofarther on.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in the severalfigures of the drawings.

Referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, A indicates theplanter-frame, pivotally connected to the runner-frame B, as

usual, and mounted upon the axle C of the ground-wheels D. lAs shown inthe drawings, the tongue E is connected with the run- 7o ner-frame inthe usual manner, so thatby the well-understood operation of theliftinglever F the runner-frame may be raised from the ground. As shownin the drawings, the

runner-frame carries the usual seedboxes G at opposite sides thereof inline with the ground-wheels, within which is located any suitableseed-dropping mechanism to be operated in any desired manner by powercommunicated from the intermittently-rotated 8o shaft H, jou rnaled inthe runner-frame. The runners I are shown as connected at their forwardends by a bar- J, secured at its center of lengt-h to the' tongue; butofcourse such bar is notessential, as any other means of properlyconnecting the runner-frame, tongue, and runners may be employed, asthese features form .no part of my present invention. Indeed thedetailed construction and arrangement of all of the planter so far 9odescribed is utterly immaterial to my present invention so long as theplanter is adapted to have my invention applied thereto.

Back of the ground-wheels and extending transversely of the planter isthe markercompel rotation of the marker-shaft when roo the wheels aredrawn across a field. The marker-wheels are preferably located adistance outside of the planter-wheels corresponding with one-half ofthe distance -between tlie planter-wheels, so that the marker upon oneside of the planter will retrace its steps when planting the next pairof rows going in the opposite direction, according to the way in whichthe planter turns. The marker blades or spades are preferably arrangedso that each alternate blade is wider than the intermediate blades andare so spaced with reference to the seed-dropping mechanism as that thebroad blades will indicate the point at which the seed is dropped, whicharrangement renders it easy for the operator to start correctly at thebeginning of a row or whenever the planter is interrupted for anyreason. This marker shaft and wheels are not unlike those of myabove-mentioned applications, the novelty in my present inventionresiding more particularly in the connection between the marker, bywhich I mean the marker shaft and wheels, and the planter. Thisconnection consists of a pair of parallel arms N, extending parallelwith the longitudinal center of the planter at opposite sides thereof,each of which is connected at its rear end with the marker-shaft by aflexible coupling of some kind, which may, if desired, be an ordinaryuniversal joint, but which I prefer to be simply a iiexible pivotalconnection, like that shown more clearly in Fig. 6, comprising a clip O,embracing the markershaft K loosely and provided with ears P, betweenwhich fits loosely the end of the bar N, which is provided with anenlarged hole Q, through which and through suitable perforations in theears P extends an ordinary bolt securing the parts together. By reasonof the holes Q, in the parallel coupling-bars N being of greaterdiameter than the pivotingbolt and the distance between the ears P beingconsiderably greater than the thickness of the coupling-bars theconnection between the shaft and the coupling-bars ris renderedsuliiciently flexible to allow all of the necessary movements of themarker without binding, regardless of the relative positions of themarker and planter, The forward ends of the parallel coupling-bars alsohave a flexible pivot connection with the ends, respectively, of adraft-bar R, which connection is afforded by a link S, pivotallyconnected with the draft-bar and passing through enlarged holes in theends of the coupling-bars. The draft-bar R may be pivoted upon avertical pivot with any suitable part of the planter; but I prefer tohave the same pivoted to the planter-tongue just back of the doubletreeT, as at U, which brings such pivot at the longitudinal center of theplanter, and I also prefer to have the draft-bar connected at oppositesides of its center by springs V with the tongue, which springs serve toassist in maintaining the draft-bar in a position at right angles to thetongue, and therefore serve to assist in restoring the parts to theirnormal position whenever the planter is turned l from a straightline-such, for instance, as to the position shown in Fig. 2, which showsthe planter swung laterally to almost its extreme position and to aposition which it would seldoin assume, for but little further movementwould cause the planter-wheels to bear against the marker-shaft. It willbe seen, however, by a comparison of Figs. l and 2 that notwithstandingthe pivot U, connecting the marker directly with the planter, swings outof line with the planter the marker remains unaffected thereby, becausethe coupling-bars maintain their parallelisln at all times and thedraft-bar R also maintains its parallelism with the marker-shaft, sothat full compensation is made for the change in the point p of pivotalconnection between the marker and the planter with reference to thestraight line of travel of the planter, and as the planterblades aresunk deep in, so as to engage the ground, they will at all times aifordsufficient resistance to deflect-ion to maintain their line of traveland cause the swinging of the draft and coupling bars to compensate forthe turning of the planter to either side of the straight line of travelcaused by careless driving or the necessity for avoiding obstructions,andA the marker will maintain its position, traveling parallel with thestraight line until the planter is again brought back into line.

To raise and lower the marker, I provide a pair of crank-arms a on theshaft b, which arms have stirrups c underlyin g the couplingbars N, sothat whenever said arms are swung up the stirrups will engage thecoupling-bars and swing the marker up clear of the ground, the links Sserving as the pivot for such action. The shaft b, by which the arms areoperated, is preferably provided with an ordinary lock-lever CZ forconvenience in manipulatin g the same.

The mechanism for communicating power from the marker-shaft to theseed-dropping mechanism does not differ materially from that described,illustrated, and claimed in my application filed June 26, 1899, SerialNo. 721,853, and therefore a brief description herein will serve to makethe operation clear.

The driving mechanism or gear connection must be located substantiallyat the longitudinal center of the planter and must be telcscopic orextensible in character, so that the transmission of power may becontinuous, notwithstanding the changes in position betwee'n the markerand planter. To this end I provide a flexible shaft e, one end sectionof which is journaled in a suitable box f, mounted on the tongue of theplanter, and carries upon its end a beveled gear g, meshing with abeveled gear h, mounted upon a stud-shaft z', also journaled on thetongue of the planter, which gear is provided with tappets 7c, arrangedto engage a star-wheel Z, mounted upon the shaft I-I in the runnerframe,so as to cause intermittent rotation of said shaft. The other endsection of fthe flexible shaft is squared at its end, as aft fm,

IOO

IIO

cefalee 3 (see Fig. 5,) and fits into a correspondinglysquared socket inthe hub n of a beveled gear o, journaled in a yoke p and meshing with abeveled gear q upon the marker-shaft K, to which shaft the yoke p ispivotally connected. It will thus be seen that a permanent gearconnection is provided the marker and the seed-dropping mechanism, whichcontinues to transmit power from the marker-shaft to the operating-shaftof the seed -dropping mechanism regardless of the changes of positionbetween the marker and the planter and notwithstanding the rising andfalling of the marker and planter bodily or of one side thereofindependent of the other side, all of the usual movements of the planterand marker being fully provided for without any interference with thecontinuous operation of the planter.

Of course it will be understood that While the tongue is pivotallyconnected to the planter, so that it may move vertically independentthereof, yet it is, as usual, held against any lateral movementindependent of the planter, so that Whenever the tongue is swung to oneside or the other the planter must go with it; but by the interpositionof my devices between the planter and tongue and the marker the. markerwill remain unaffected by such lateral swinging of the planter andtongue and will continue in a straight line.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a check-row cornplanter and the seed-droppingmechanism thereof, of an automatic check-rower attachment comprising apair of spade marker- Wheels operatively connected with the seeddroppingmechanism, a draft-bar pivoted to the planter and a pair of parallelcouplingbars iiexibly connected at their ends respectively to thedraft-bar and the marker, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a check-row cornplanter and the seed-droppingmechanism thereof, ol' an automatic check-rower attachment comprising apair of spade marker"- wheels, a draft-bar pivoted to the plantertongue,a pair of parallel coupling-bars pivotally connected at their ends,respectively, to the draft-bar and marker and opposing springsconnecting the draft-bar at opposite sides of its pivot with the tongue,substantially as described.

3. The combination with a check-row cornplanter and the seed-droppingmechanism thereof, of an automatic check-rower attachment comprising amarker-shaft and spade marker-Wheels secured to the ends of said shaft,respectively, a draft-bar pivoted at its center of length to the planterand a pair of parallel coupling-bars flexibly connected at their ends,respectively, with said draft-bar and the marker-shaft, substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination with a check-row cornplanter and the seed-droppingmechanism thereof, of an automatic check-rower attachment comprising apair of spade markerwheels, a draft-bar pivoted to the planter, a pairof parallel coupling-bars flexibly connected at their ends,respectively, to said draft-bar and the marker attachment and a flexibleand extensible gear connection between the marker and the seed-droppingmechanism at the longitudinal center of the planter, substantially asdescribed.

5. The combination Withacheck-row cornplanter and the seed-droppingmechanism thereof, of an automatic check-rower attachment comprising apair of spade markerwheels operatively connected with the seeddroppingmechanism, a draft-bar pivoted to the planter, a pair of parallelcoupling-bars flexibly connected at their ends, respectively, with thedraft-bar and the marker, pivoted lifting-arms having ends underlying,and adapted to engage, the coupling-bars and means for operating saidlifting-arms, substantially as described.

JAMES B. JARMIN.

Witnesses:

T. D. STARBUCK, H. F. SoMMERs.

